Three-axis rotation rate sensor including a substrate and a double rotor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11846509-B2
Application number	US-202217648331-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2022
Priority date	Jan 20, 2021
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

A three-axis rotation rate sensor including a substrate and a double rotor. The double rotor includes a first rotor and a second rotor which are elastically connected to one another via a first coupling element so that the two rotors are excitable to rotary oscillations in phase opposition. The first rotor includes a first seismic mass and a second seismic mass that are deflectably supported with respect to the first rotor, and the second rotor includes a third seismic mass and a fourth seismic mass that are deflectably supported with respect to the second rotor. The first mass is connected to the third mass via a first rocker element so that upon a lateral deflection of the first mass, the third mass is deflected in a direction opposite the lateral deflection of the first mass.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-axis rotation rate sensor, comprising:
a substrate having a main plane of extension with an X direction and a Y direction; and
a double rotor including a first rotor and a second rotor which are each elastically connected to the substrate via a suspension, and elastically connected to one another via a first coupling element in such a way that the first and second rotors are excitable to rotary oscillations in phase opposition, rotational axes of the first and second rotors extending in a vertical Z direction perpendicular to the substrate;
wherein the first rotor includes a first seismic mass and a second seismic mass that are deflectably supported with respect to the first rotor, a lateral deflection direction of the first and second seismic masses of the first rotor extending in parallel to the substrate,
wherein the second rotor includes a third seismic mass and a fourth seismic mass that are deflectably supported with respect to the second rotor, a lateral deflection direction of the third and fourth seismic masses of the second rotor extending in parallel to the substrate, and
wherein the first mass is connected to the third mass via a first rocker element in such a way that upon a lateral deflection of the first mass, the third mass is deflected in a direction opposite the lateral deflection of the first mass, the second mass being connected to the fourth mass via a second rocker element in such a way that upon a lateral deflection of the second mass, the fourth mass is deflected in a direction opposite the lateral deflection of the second mass, the first and second rocker elements being elastically connected to one another via a second coupling element in such a way that the lateral deflections of the first and second masses take place in phase opposition, and the lateral deflections of the third and fourth masses take place in phase opposition,
wherein the double rotor is axially symmetric with respect to a first and/or a second axis of symmetry, the first axis of symmetry extending in the Y direction and being centrally situated between the first and second rotors, and the second axis of symmetry extending in the X direction through a center of gravity of the first rotor and a center of gravity of the second rotor.

2. The rotation rate sensor as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and second rotors are connected to the substrate at their center of gravity, via at least one spring.

3. The rotation rate sensor as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first rotor is axially symmetric with respect to a third axis of symmetry and/or the second rotor is axially symmetric with respect to a fourth axis of symmetry, the third axis of symmetry extending in the Y direction through a center of gravity of the first rotor, and the fourth axis of symmetry extending in the Y direction through a center of gravity of the second rotor.

4. The rotation rate sensor as recited in claim 3 , further comprising:
a first detection electrode system situated below and/or above the first rotor is symmetric with respect to the second and/or third axis of symmetry, and/or a second detection electrode system situated below and/or above the second rotor is symmetric with respect to the second and/or fourth axis of symmetry.

5. The rotation rate sensor as recited in claim 4 , wherein a third detection electrode system is configured to detect a lateral deflection of the first and second seismic masses, and a fourth detection electrode system is configured to detect a lateral deflection of the third and fourth seismic masses, the third and fourth detection electrode systems including an electrode surface that is situated perpendicularly with respect to the substrate.

6. The rotation rate sensor as recited in claim 5 , wherein the third and fourth detection electrode systems are designed in such a way that they detect rotational movements of the first and second rocker elements whose rotational axes extend perpendicularly with respect to the main plane of extension.

7. The rotation rate sensor as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first coupling element is a first spring element that is centrally situated between the first and second rotors, the first spring element being formed by at least one leaf spring that is oriented predominantly in the Y direction.

8. The rotation rate sensor as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and second rocker elements each include a lever element that is connected to a seismic mass of the first rotor via a second spring element, and is connected to a seismic mass of the second rotor via a third spring element, each of the second and third spring elements being centrally situated at a seismic mass and/or the lever element being anchored to the substrate via a fourth spring element, the fourth spring element being centrally situated at the lever element and/or extending from the lever element in a direction of a center of the double rotor.

9. The rotation rate sensor as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second coupling element includes a first additional and a second additional arm and a bending element, the first additional arm being situated at the first rocker element and the second additional arm being situated at the second rocker element, the bending element connecting the first additional arm to the second additional arm.

10. The rotation rate sensor as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second coupling element, at least in one subarea, is situated above or below the first coupling element or includes, at least in one subarea, two subelements extending in parallel, one of the subelements being situated above the first coupling element and the other of the subelements being situated below the first coupling element.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Reinmuth Jochen

Classifications

• G01C19/5719 Primary

  using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis · CPC title

• G01C19/5712 Primary

  the devices involving a micromechanical structure · CPC title

• G01P3/483 Primary

  delivered by variable capacitance detectors · CPC title